Patiala, Punjab (KP) –The funeral of Baba Santa Singh was held in Patiala’s Agamgarh cantonment fields this past week on May 12th. Ardas was performed by Singh Sahib Giani Gurbhachan Singh Ji while Baba Balbir Singh lit the pyre of Baba Santa Singh. A huge procession took place from Bageechi Baba Bamba Singh to the headquarters of the Buddha Dal on Sular Road in commemoration of Baba Santa Singh. Police and security forces were deployed in large numbers to help keep any unwanted incidents from taking place as tensions were on the rise within different factions of the Dal over the appointment of a new Jathedar.
This is not the first time tensions have erupted in the Dal over the issue of Jathedari. During the appointment of Baba Santa Singh, a similar clash also took place as many Nihangs expressed displeasure over his appointment as the new Jathedar after Baba Chet Singh. Very recently, bloody mayhem took place in September of last year and claimed the lives of four family members of Baba Balbir Singh. This time, the clash was between admirers of Baba Balbir Singh and Baba Surjeet Singh, a faction of the Dal that expressed disapproval of Baba Balbir Singh as the new chief of the Dal.
The issue took a new turn after the funeral when associates of Baba Joginder Singh, a new admission in the list of possible Jathedars, announced that they will excommunicate Baba Balbir Singh from the Panth. They expressed dissatisfaction as many Nihangs were barred from attending the funeral of Baba Santa Singh. The faction announced that Baba Balbir Singh was wrongfully appointed as the Jathedar of the Dal and dastar-bandi of the new Jathedar will be held on May 18th in which Baba Joginder Singh will be given full responsibility of the Dal.
Baba Kulbir Singh of Buddha Dal announced that the dastar-bandi ceremony will take place after the bhog of Akhand Path Sahib on May 18th at Gurdwara Damdama Sahib (Ludhiana). He called upon all Nihang Jathebandis to take part in the dastar-bandi and asked for a boycott of Baba Balbir Singh and considered him as a reason for the death of Baba Santa Singh.
These developments in the Buddha Dal have come as a surprise to everyone as Baba Balbir Singh has always been perceived as the next Jathedar of the Dal. He enjoys proximity with all major Panthic Jathebandis. Furthermore, it was Baba Santa Singh himself who handed dastar to Baba Balbir Singh. The appointment of Baba Joginder Singh has also put a strong question on the Dal itself as previously, the same Nihang Singhs were in favor of Baba Surjeet Singh or Baba Udhay Singh to be chosen as the Jathedar but now since both of these Nihang Chiefs are at-large, they have chosen another person to continue opposing Baba Balbir Singh.
